Factors Affecting Nutritional Status among Preschool children in Lumlookka municipality, Lumlookka District, Pathumthani Province after Covid-19 Pandemic.

Abstract

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the nutritional state and factors influencing the nutritional status of early childhood children in Lam Luk Ka Subdistrict Municipality, Lam Luk Ka District, Pathum Thani Province, following the COVID-19 outbreak. The sample consisted of 81 pairs of children aged 1–5 years and their caregivers. Due to limitations in providing information and communication difficulties, data for this study were collected through the caregivers. A simple random sampling was used to obtain data from the primary caregivers of the children. Instruments used included a questionnaire on food management, support received from relevant agencies, and a child nutrition record form. The content validity of the instruments was verified (IOC = 0.67–1.00), and the reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.75. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the relationship between various factors and nutritional status was tested using Fisher’s Exact Test. The study's findings revealed that the majority of children had nutritional status within the normal range in terms of weight for age (58 percent), height for age (87.7 percent), and weight for height (61.7 percent). Birth weight (p =0.003, 0.024, 0.007), COVID-19 infection in children (p =0.006), and maternal underlying illnesses (p =0.044) all had a significant impact on nutritional status. However, primary caregiver characteristics such as knowledge, attitudes, and food preparation behavior were found to be unrelated to nutritional status. Furthermore, the interviews revealed that communities managed food self-sufficiency through practices such as cultivating vegetables for personal consumption and accessing food supplies via motorcycles with sidecars. The research recommends promoting excellent health and nutrition throughout pregnancy, particularly proper mother care, which will help the infant have a healthy birth weight and influence proper Keywords: Nutritional status, preschool children, Covid-19 pandemicnutrition in early childhood.